Everyone in the hall was watching the spectacle, curious about the identity of this man who called himself a monarch, and even more eager to see whether Peng Jia, a noble scion of the Immortal Court, could recover the hundreds of millions worth of resources Yue Jinghong had lost from this impostor.
What no one expected was that while the two sides were locked in a standoff, Gu Qingfeng would brazenly start flirting with Miss Xiang'er.
Those familiar with Lin Xiang'er knew that under normal circumstances, when faced with flirtation, Miss Xiang'er never got angry, but she also never responded—at most, she would simply smile it off. To everyone's surprise, faced with this impostor's advances, Miss Xiang'er not only responded but even addressed him as 'Monarch,' saying it was an 'honor'?
Could Miss Xiang'er actually believe this impostor?
No.
Impossible.
Miss Xiang'er wasn't a fool; she must be teasing him, right?
However.
Even being teased by Miss Xiang'er was, in the eyes of many, a rare honor in itself.
On the high platform.
Lin Xiang'er sat lazily on a soft chair, her posture slightly tilted, her head cocked to one side as she held a cup of fine wine. A faint, ambiguous smile played on her charming, captivating face as she gazed at Gu Qingfeng in the pavilion and said softly, "If the Monarch commands Xiang'er to play, Xiang'er dare not refuse. However...
Today, Xiang'er's body is somewhat weary. If the Monarch is willing, after Xiang'er bathes and changes her clothes this evening, she will play a piece for the Monarch alone. How does that sound?"
As her words fell, the previously lively hall instantly fell silent.
Many wondered if they had misheard.
What did Miss Xiang'er just say?
She wanted this impostor to see her home?
And after bathing and changing, play for him alone?
Heavens!
This couldn't be real, could it?
What was wrong with Miss Xiang'er?
If this was just her teasing him for calling himself a monarch, wasn't it going a bit too far?
No one knew.
No one understood what Miss Xiang'er was really up to, including Steward Wei and even Princess Royal Tang Manqing in the pavilion, who both watched with astonishment and suspicion.
"There's such a good deal?"
In the pavilion, Gu Qingfeng laughed heartily. "That sounds absolutely wonderful."
He threw back his head and drained his cup, then stood up, stretched lazily, and yawned. "Now that you mention it, I'm feeling a bit weary myself."
"Young Master, would you like to return and rest?" Fei Kui asked respectfully.
"Return?"
After finishing the fruit on his plate, Gu Qingfeng glanced at the sky. It was only noon. "What would I do back there now?
Sleep?
I've slept for several years straight; I really don't feel like sleeping anymore. But if not sleep, what else is there to do? I say, Fei Kui, you've been mingling here for a few years; looks like you're a regular. Does this mountain villa have any other amusements?"
Gu Qingfeng's words left everyone present in disbelief.
Everyone knew Peng Jia had come specifically for him, yet he seemed utterly unconcerned. Not only had he just flirted with Miss Xiang'er, but now he actually wanted to find other entertainment?
Did this fellow not take Peng Jia seriously at all?
This was a question everyone wanted answered, especially Tang Manqing and Steward Wei.
"The villa also has a gambling den. If Young Master wants some amusement, perhaps you could go play a few rounds."
"Gamble again?"
Gu Qingfeng rubbed his chin as if hesitating, then shook his head. "No more gambling. No opponents, no fun."
To the crowd, these words sounded utterly ridiculous.
What did he mean, 'no opponents'?
'No fun'?
Was this guy claiming to be the God of Gambling?
What a joke.
What did gambling rely on?
The Great Ultimate Change, also known as the Mysterious Profound Change.
Everyone knew this thing relied three parts on luck, three parts on comprehension, and three parts on deduction. It had nothing to do with cultivation level or destiny. No one dared claim they could win one hundred percent of the time—not even true Immortals had that ability.
"Heh, what a boastful claim!" Peng Jia sneered coldly. "Since you claim to have no opponents, I suppose your gambling skills must be peerless?"
"Of course."
Gu Qingfeng walked down from the pavilion. "I've gambled all my life and never lost. Whether it's the Daoist lords of the Nine Heavens or the demonic patriarchs of the Nine Nethers, I've always cleaned them out!"
Perhaps finding Gu Qingfeng's bragging too outrageous, the muscles at the corner of Steward Wei's mouth twitched involuntarily.
Even Tang Manqing in the pavilion's private room found it hard to watch, while Shui'er scoffed, "This guy's boasting is truly earth-shattering!
'Daoist lords of the Nine Heavens, demonic patriarchs of the Nine Nethers'—his face is thick as a city wall!"
By now, Gu Qingfeng had reached the main hall and taken a seat at the front. Fei Kui hurriedly poured him a cup of fine wine.
Peng Jia said, "In that case, this noble scion would like to experience your peerless gambling skills!"
"Forget about 'experiencing.'"
Gu Qingfeng crossed his legs, speaking nonchalantly. "I'm not short on money right now. Won quite a bit yesterday, enough to last ten days to half a month. Besides, gambling with you youngsters is really no fun. Most importantly, you can't afford to play, and you can't afford to lose. Win your money, and you still have the gall to want it back?"
"Heh!"
Peng Jia stared at Gu Qingfeng, saying coldly, "You seem to have misunderstood. This noble scion did not come to reclaim yesterday's winnings. I merely heard from Jinghong that your gambling skills are exceptionally superb, and I wished to experience them for myself. That is all."
"Enough, why bother with this idle talk? You can't figure out my identity, so you don't dare act recklessly. If you had confirmed who I am, you probably wouldn't be wasting words here, right?"
"Oh?"
Perhaps not expecting Gu Qingfeng to see through his thoughts, Peng Jia was momentarily stunned.
Indeed.
The reason he hadn't made a move yet was precisely because he didn't know Gu Qingfeng's identity, fearing he might have a background he couldn't afford to provoke.
If he could confirm it, that would be one thing, but being unable to confirm left him in a dilemma—unable to leave or stay, unable to act or not act, truly caught between a rock and a hard place.
"I've already told you my identity. Surname Gu, given name Tianlang, Dao title Chixiao. Believe it if you will; if not..."
"If not, then what?"
"If not, then I'll prove it to you."
"Oh?
You mean you'll prove you are the Chixiao Monarch?"
"Of course. With so many Gu Tianlangs running around these days, it's time for this real one to step forward. Anyway, I'm idle today, might as well find some amusement."
"How will you prove you are the true Chixiao Monarch?"
"How to prove it?
That really is a headache."
Gu Qingfeng sipped his wine, speaking indifferently. "In the past, I did everything I could, even things I shouldn't have, and still no one believed me. So...
I've figured it out now. Since no one believes, I might as well not prove anything. However, even if I can't prove I'm the real one, I must at least let others know about this fake Gu Tianlang. At the very least, I have to let the Gu Tianlang in Yanluo Kingdom know of my existence."